The area of control of systems such as computers and their associated hardware and software is dominated by hand held or hand controlled devices, such as but not limited to, a computer mouse, a touch screen, joystick, track ball, etc. As explained in PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US08/84935 filed Nov. 26, 2008, hereinafter “the PCT Patent Application” and the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/996,662 filed Nov. 28, 2007 upon which it is based, there are situations where hands free control of a system is desirable. Indeed, there are some situations, such as persons with disabilities, where the only possible practical control of a system must necessarily be hands free. Consider, for example, physically handicapped people who are physically unable to use hand controlled devices, or who may do so only with difficulty. A quadriplegic may, for instance, be limited to control of limited head motion, speech and the ability to sip or blow.
Although the original adaptive MIDI wind controller described in the PCT Patent Application represents a usable solution for physically handicapped persons, there remains a need for several important improvements or extensions to the original device.
A wind controller device for use by physically handicapped persons should operate with minimal resistance to motion, particularly side-to-side or lateral motion. This is desirable for several reasons, including reducing the strain on the head and neck muscles from prolonged use, and to minimize wear and tear on the device's slider assembly, thereby prolonging its usable life. While minimal resistance is preferred, there is also a need for the device to provide structural integrity over time with respect to movement, both in the lateral side-to-side and rotational orientation movement. In order to provide minimal resistance while meeting the need for structural integrity, an improved dual rail carriage slider system and linear sensor would be beneficial. Also, a resistance free or frictionless sensor is desirable. Additionally, a wireless process for communicating controller information to a target system, such as use of an of LED (Light Emitting Diode), which is then electronically visually monitored and converted to position and orientation information in real-time, would also be desirable.
A person using the MIDI wind controller often must visually coordinate their use of the device with the desired output—such as, for example, when the device is used to mimic a musical instrument. It would be greatly helpful in many applications for the user to be provided with tactile feedback as to the lateral (i.e., “x-axis”) position of the mouthpiece. In some applications, it would also be desirable for tactile feedback to include tactile protrusions and/or vibrations indicating location along the x-axis.
It is also desirable to optionally provide as many different types of input as possible for a physically handicapped person to take advantage of when using the device. Thus, provision of addition input sensors, including switch jacks, as depicted on the bottom view of the unit in FIG. 8, or a bite sensor, would be useful.
The mouthpiece is the element of the MIDI wind controller device with which the user directly has physical contact. In many settings, there is a need for various users to share the device, often for cost reasons. For sanitary use by more than one person, and for other reasons, it is desirable to provide a mouthpiece for the MIDI wind controller device which is disposable so that multiple users may use a single instrument, be easily reattachable by friction, and be a non-choking hazard.